Fatal Frame 5: The Mirror Demon
by RandomPurpleKitty
Summary: Makio and Kimonhiro have been locked in a haunted mansion.Life will be rare. Rated T for intense situations,and some blood and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Fatal Frame 5: The Mirrored Demon**

**A/N: My first non-crossover.**

**TECMO**

_**Project Zero**_

"Can I _BECOME YOUR HOPE?_" Makio said, her voice cracking. Embarrassed, She ran of the stage and was followed my Kimonhiro, her best friend. She was crying now, realizing she'd never perfect the song.

Kimonhiro, being a good friend told her she did well. "It's all right Macky..." he said, using her nickname. She had calmed down a little though, sniffling now. School was over so Makio left, riding her black bike home. When she came home, she grabbed the newspaper. The title was shocking.

'**Old Mansion rumored haunted'**

_Hiroko Meriko has informed us he saw a mirror in the house with "An odd looking entity in it." . Ghost hunters have been informed and warned and are staying away._

Makio put the paper on her table and decided to call Kimonhiro.

"Kimonhiro! We're going ghost hunting!"

They had ridden to the mansion on their bikes and were inside the mansion already.

It watched them from the mirror. Victims of the mirror curse.

Makio frowned, looking at the mirror. She had flashes and images. _A mirror. A woman writhing in pain. Rocks falling on the woman. A mirror. A mirror. The mirror, oh god the mirror was evil oh no the mirror was going to get the-_

"Makio!!!" Kimonhiro yelled, shaking her. She woke up from the daydream. Blinking, clearly scared. This mansion exploration was a horrible idea. She wanted to go home and lay down. Maybe have some tea. Makio turned towards the

(mirror. the evil mi-)

Door.

"Do you want to go home?" Kimonhiro asked. Makio nodded and she went to open the door that led out.

_(Oh no you don't. This doesn't e-)_

Makio gulped unhappily. She turned to Kimonhiro with a frown. The door was locked. They couldn't leave.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: The Camera Obscura**_

Makio turned from the door and faced Kimonhiro. "We're locked in...," She said. But that was impossible. Makio realized the door had no locks, inside or out. "Let's go explore...There must be another exit..." She said. She walked down the left hallway and as she walked she noticed something shining on the floor. She picked it up and held it tight. She realized it was a camera. The Camera Obscura. She suddenly dropped it when something brushed her. The camera hit the floor with a thunk and miraculously survived the fall.

"Kimonhiro!" Makio yelled with rage. But that _thing_ wasn't Kimonhiro. He was pale gray and his arms were scarlet red. There were gashes in his arms and he had slit wrists. Two mirror shards stuck out of his wrists.

"The mirror..._**The pain!**_" He cried desperately. Makio cringed at his appearance, and that was a bad choice. He grabbed Makio and shook her like a rag doll. She pushed him away and pulled up the camera.

*Flashback*

"Gramma Rei?What does this camera do?" Asked little Makio.

"This camera exorcises demons and ghosts. This special film," Rei said, holding up her Type Zero film. "Is the camera's film."

"Oh wow!" Makio said, reaching to hug her grandmother. She told her grandmother she loved her, and ran outside to play.

*Flashback over*

_Snap!Flash!Whirl!_

_Snap!Flash!Whirl!_

_Snap!_

_Snap!_

He fell now, fading. "Don't let her...break it..."

Makio was trying to catch her breath when Kimonhiro came. Without a word, he gave her the Herbal Medicine he'd found. She swallowed it and said to Kimonhiro,

"We need to leave!" Makio said. She decided the back door would be the back of this mansion. She walked to the end of the hallway and opened the door.

"What the hell?" Was her first thought. The room was one big room of mirrors. She walked in and realized she was alone. She stepped around the rows of mirrors and mirror walls. She came to the end of the room but the last mirror was broken. Makio went to touch the empty frame and a sound echoed through the room. Startled, she looked around.

All around her the reflected woman walked toward her. She tried to figure out which one was real. She then realized, too late, that they were all real. They surrounded her and engulfed her. When they returned to their mirrors, Makio-

Opened the door at the end of the hallway. No mirrors now. Kimonhiro was there, and there was one shattered mirror at the end of the hall. No, not a mirror. A mirror shaped door. She walked down the hall and pushed the mirror door open. The room inside the mirror was

(a room full of mirrors. Evil mirrors. Mirrors that didn't forgive.)

A Tatami Room. A little girl sat on the rug, looking up at Makio and she cried out:

"Mommy!". She fell over and vanished. Blood appeared where she sat. Kimonhiro and Makio both uttered a choked gasp. The little girl was right next to Makio now. She cried for her mother but didn't vanish. She clung to Makio's jeans and started to scream. Makio pulled out her camera and took a picture of this...Demon. With a final yelp the little girl vanished. Makio sighed, muttered a few curses, and turned to where Kimonhiro stood. Startled, She looked in the empty hallway. There was no doubt that Kimonhiro had disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello. I decided to do lots of writing on vacation! So here is FF5: TMD Chap-

Jenny: Chapter 3: Losing My Mind! Enjoy the show!

Chapter 3: Losing My Mind

"This isn't happening. This is **NOT** happening, Makio. You're having a nightmare. You lied down on your bed before you called Kimonhiro and took a nap. You're having this nightmare because of what happened at school. Now wake up before something happens to you. Wake up. Wake. Up. **NOW**." Makio wasn't sure how many times she had said that. She was lying in the corner of the room, thinking about what was happening and what she would do to live.

That little girl was sitting next to her, holding her prisoner. If Makio turned or made a move to run, the little girl would grab Makio's leg, which sent a shocking chill throughout her body. Makio couldn't move her arms to grab her camera either. Minutes passed, but it felt like hours.

"She's not real, she's not real, she's not re-" Sharp pain.

Makio clenched her eyes shut and began to cry. But when she opened her eyes, the girl was gone. She scrambled to her feet and stumbled out the door. _Why is this happening? Who is she? Where's Kimonhiro? Am I...Going to die? NO! I'm getting out of here, and Kimonhiro is going with me. I will NOT die. I refuse. _Makio thought, clutching her arm instinctively. She looked around and decided to go back to the foyer. The foyer was full of doors about 6 of them. She came out of door three. _Door one? Locked. Door two? Locked. Door 4? Yes! Open._ Makio walked through the door, expecting to see another dusty corridor. But, a blinding light filled her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the foyer but... something wasn't wrong...but it wasn't right. People were in the foyer. Not ghost hunters or looters, but residents. They wore old-fashioned kimonos, and they spoke very formally to each other. Suddenly, they looked straight at her.

"Hello, Sashitu. What are you doing in here? I thought you would be spending time with Arimako. You know what shall happen soon." One of the men said._ But he couldn't possibly think I belonged here! I'm dressed in a winter jacket and boots._ Makio thought. She looked down at herself, and just barely suppressed a gasp. She was wearing a light brown kimono and sandals. What was worse, the camera was missing.

"Is everything alright, Miss Koji? You look like you have seen a ghost!" Another man said, laughing at her terrified expression.

"Where is Arimako right now?" Makio said, playing along.

"You should know she is in the Tatami Room on the second floor, reading one of her silly love stories." The third man said.

"Arigato, sir." Makio said. "Where are the stairs? And the second floor Tatami Room?"

Man one smiled, man two laughed, and man three scowled at her. Man three stood up and, grumbling, led Makio up the staircase to the second floor and to the Tatami Room.

"Would you like me to open the door for you too, Your Highness?" He said, glaring at her. Whoever he was, Makio didn't like him. As he strode away, Makio caught bits of his mumbling.

"Treated like royalty because she's the priestess's friend... Ridiculous... Can't wait until the ritual...take her down a peg or two..." He mumbled, finally disappearing from sight. Makio turned to the door she had been led to and opened the door. A girl with short brown hair sat on the floor, pouring her attention on the book she was reading. She giggled occasionally and at some point, she turned a bright red. Makio knocked on the door's frame.

**SNAP!**

The book snapped shut, and the girl on the floor looked up quickly.

"Sashi-Chan! Where have you been? You said you had a surprise for me and you never came back when you left to get it! That's alright. I am almost done with my new novel. It is splendid! It's called 'Kinjirareta Ai'." She said, rising up. She was a good inch taller that Makio. She seemed to be 6'12. Makio was only 5'9. She smiled a warm smile at Makio, or Sashitu, as she was now known. This must have been Arimako.

"Yes, well... I was a bit tied up." Makio said, smiling nervously back. Arimako gasped in horror.

"Who tied you up? Why would someone do that to you? I shall go and tell Father. He will find out who it was, and punish them!" She yelled, fury replacing her smile. _Right, figurative speech wasn't really known in Japan yet._ Makio thought.

"I'm sorry, Arimako. That is just a phrase meaning that I'm busy." Makio said, trying to calm Arimako down.

"Why are making up horrible phrases like that? That sounded awful! Please, don't scare me like that." Arimako said. She placed a hand on Makio's shoulder, and smiled again. She closed her eyes and walked past Makio, out the door. "I'm going to make a pot of tea. Do you want a cup of tea?" She said.

"No thank you..." Makio said, quietly.

"All right. See you in a while. If you want something to do, read my novel. Just don't lose my place!" Arimako called, heading down a set of stairs.

Makio walked over to the book, and started to read it. Makio was on page 64 before she was interrupted. But the person behind her wasn't Arimako. The book Makio was reading turned to ash. The room and sunlight deteriorated. Makio was back in her jacket and jeans and boots. She was back in the haunted mansion when she heard a whisper.

Arms wrapped around Makio's throat.

"Gotcha." Her attacker said, and she was gone. Makio turned to the person behind her. He seemed familiar... Makio's memories were extremely blurry for some reason. _What was his name again? Kirk? Kim? Kimo...Kimon...Kimono? No... Kimon- _

"Makio. It's me, Kimonhiro."

** End of Chapter 3**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Didn't expect fast updates did you? ...You did?

Jenny: Shut up, Author. Chapter 4: Miracles and Possessions!

Author: I pay you, you little-

I do not own anything except Makio, Kimonhiro, and all other characters in this story.

Chapter 4: Miracles and Possessions

Makio looked behind her. It was Kimonhiro.

"Kimonhiro!" She cried, running to hug him. "I thought you had died, I'm so sorry, where were you? Oh never mind, you're okay..." She said, holding him in a tight hug.

"Why would I be dead? I was in the kitchen helping Mother make dinner. Hey, Sashito, have you seen my sister anywhere?" Kimonhiro said, looking at her and smiling. Makio's insides went cold when he called her Sashito. She pushed herself away from him.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" she yelled, walking quickly backwards. Something in Kimonhiro's eyes changed as she yelled.

"Makio, what are we doing in here? We were in that room with the creepy little girl. I walked out the door to see where the girl went and... Everything went blank." Kimonhiro said. _He's possessed._ Makio thought. It all made sense. She and Kimonhiro were possessed. _I was possessed by Sashito, but why didn't I blank out like Kimonhiro? Kimonhiro was possessed by...who?_ she thought. She was still questioning herself in her mind when she was interrupted.

"C'mon, let's try and get out of here." Kimonhiro said, grabbing Makio's hand and leading her into the hall. He was shivering now, scared as Makio. Makio looked around the hall. Two doors, including the one she just came out of. She walked to the next door, flanked by Kimonhiro. She tried to open the door. It was locked. _Damn it! _She thought.

"Makio, locked doors are useless here. Step aside." Kimonhiro said, walking closer to the door. Kimonhiro raised his foot, and kicked the door as hard as he could.

Well, Kimonhiro tried to kick the door. A second before his foot connected with the door, his whole body lit up brighter than Christmas tree lights. Bolts of white hot electricity flew into his body. He screamed and began to twitch. He hit the floor and gasped in pain. As he writhed on the floor, Makio gasped and tried to pull him up. But when she tried to touch him, she felt as if her insides were melting. She felt as though she was a wax candle, lit on fire and melting. But the pain ended for Makio as soon as she let go of Kimonhiro. She had an idea.

"Kimonhiro! Get your foot off the door!" She yelled at him. He shakily took his foot off the door. He quickly returned to his regular color and stood up. The door was pulsing violently and it was smoking. Faces pushed out of the door with tortured expressions. Makio thought the door was somehow a ghost. She looked down and finally remembered about her camera. She held it up but when the took the shot, the photo she got was blank.

"Makio. Hold on, let me try the photograph the door. I found a Camera Obsecura too. Odd, huh?" Kimonhiro said. Makio then noticed the camera dangling from his neck. He held up his camera and shot the door. This time, when the picture slid out of his camera, it wasn't blank. It showed a broken mirror... in a room of clean, freshly polished mirrors. Makio gasped in shock. That was the room where she had the vision. The memory was fresh in her mind. Kimonhiro frowned and said: "I wonder where that room is. Huh. Well, maybe to open the door, we need to go in that room and find something."

"**NO!**" Makio yelled. She never wanted to go in that room again. She remembered the feeling of...being frozen...dead...forgotten...That room had an air of gloominess in it that crushed Makio's soul. And when those girls surrounded her, getting closer, closer, swirling so fast they stole the oxygen from the air. The feeling of dying... They had chanted as they spun:

"Lift the air from the soul...

Before horrors come untold...

They will steal your very soul...

The end will end so be foretold...

Kill the priestess right away...

Before the demon decides to stay...

Smash the mirror, end her life...

With the holy rocks of His Divine..."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello, you lovely people! How's life? Guess what? It's my birthday! So for my birthday, I want reviews. You wouldn't want me to have a sad birthday, would you? Well, here's the chapter.

Jenny: Happy Birthday Author. Chapter 5: No Signal. Also, the story is now in Makio's POV.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kimonhiro asked for the umpteenth time. I was getting slightly frustrated, but at the same time, I felt a sort of attraction to him. I shook this out of my head. _Makio, you are not in love... Maybe a little._ I thought. I tried to turn my mind to different things.

"Kimonhiro, my parents are going to freak. When they can't find me, they'll get worried! They might even call the polic- Oh god, I'm such an idiot. The police always look here! After that event in '99, they always look here first. And... I have my cell phone. I'll call my parents! Tell them to find us here!" I said, grabbing my cell phone from my pocket. I flipped it open, hope blossoming in me. That hope was gone as fast as it had come. No bars.

I angrily threw my phone to the floor, before stomping on it in a rage. It took two slaps from Kimonhiro to regain my senses. He rubbed my back for a few seconds, and picked up my cell phone. He gave it to me and I stuck in her pocket again. I doubted my phone would ever work again. Oh well, I had bigger fish to fry. Including trying to decipher Kimonhiro's back rub. _He was just trying to calm you down... _I thought. I smiled at him and we walked into the corridor with the mirror door.

I opened the door and bad memories flooded me. I clenched Kimonhiro's hand so hard it turned white. After his last disappearance, I wasn't letting him go. We stepped into the room of mirrors and instantly shivered. This room seemed much colder than the rest of the mansion. What was wrong with this room? It was a room of mirrors, then a hallway, and now it was the mirror room again. I made a pact then. When I got out of this mansion, I was lighting it on fire. Good riddance, haunted mansion. Hello, shopping mall.

I walked around the room, silently waiting for the priestess to kill me. But that never happened. Kimonhiro and I finally found a broken mirror. I noticed a knob on it.

"Um, Kimonhiro? Door knob." I said, pointing to it. I reached for it, and Kimonhiro bowled me over.

"_Don't touch it!_" he hissed, pinning me to the floor. He pointed at the door, which was now pulsating faces out of it. I realized he saved me from a nasty zap. His head was only inches from mine. I was blushing now, and continued blushing when Kimonhiro got up to photograph the door. I closed my eyes for ten seconds, and heard a yell. When Kimonhiro took the photo, a ghost came out and was strangling him. I reached for my camera, and icy dread coursed through me. I had left my camera upstairs. Kimonhiro was now turning a deep blue, and making loud, choking sounds. I felt adrenalin flow through me. I rushed through the mirror door, up the stairs, and to the Library. I grabbed the camera after a brief struggle with the little ghost girl. _Bitch..._ I thought, as I raced back to the mirror room. Kimonhiro was closing his eyes now, dying. I held up the camera, and with a cry of primitive rage, I clicked the camera's shutter.

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

The female ghost dropped Kimonhiro's body and began to wail. I pressed on.

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

_Click. Whirl. Flash!_

The ghost finally fell to the floor, the shard of glass in her chest impaling her.

I looked at the spot where the ghost had dropped Kimonhiro. Instead of seeing the raven-haired boy, I saw nothing. I realized what had happened right away.

"NO! I screamed, dropping to my knees. I had promised myself I wouldn't let him be harmed in any way. Without an offensive camera, he would surely die. I looked up, to the door. I stood up and walked to it. With a sigh of tiredness, I grabbed the knob and twisted it.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello, lovely people! I'm back with another chapter of Fatal Frame 5!

Jenny: The Mirror Door's Magic!

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I walked through the mirror door. Upstairs, the other door's seal was broken, but Kimonhiro was more important. I made a vow to myself after he disappeared. I would burn this house to the ground when- _if_ I corrected myself-I got out. I noticed something when I went through the door. I was in my brown kimono again.

As I walked in, I realized I was in a warm kitchen. Everything was black and white. The ghost who I had captured sat by a fire, tending to a fish skeleton. I blinked, and everything changed. The room was in color, and the ghost was replaced by a woman in a purple kimono tending to a large trout. I realized she was the ghost when she was alive. I resisted the urge to attack her for hurting Kimonhiro. She looked at me, surprised.

"Sashio, how did you get in here? You didn't use the shrine, did you?" She had a disapproving look on her face. Her voice was very mellow when she spoke. "You mean... the mirror room?" I asked. "No, I mean the Mirror Shrine!" She said. "I promise I won't tell anyone this time sweetie. But remember the Mirror Shrine is _very dangerous_." She looked me up and down and turned back to the fish. "Would you like a piece of fish?" she asked. I nodded, and she gave me a small piece. "Tell me if it needs anything!" She said. I put the fish in my mouth slowly. It tasted warm and delicious. I had snacks and three water bottles in my backpack, but I never had time to sit down and eat something.

"It's perfect!" I said. The woman smiled and turned to the fish, pleased with my response. I couldn't believe death could corrupt someone so...nice. "Um... Have you seen Kimonhiro anywhere?" I asked. I didn't think anyone here knew who Kimonhiro was. "My son?" The woman said. "He's outside, in the Lotus Garden. I think he was helping Asou-San with a radio of sorts." She said. So they did know him! And Asou, she heard about him in history class. He had invented the Camera Obscura! The cameras that Kimonhiro and I had were prototypes! That would explain why one was for attacking and one was for discovering and unsealing. If I went to explain to Asou her problem, he might know what to do! Just then, Arimako burst into the kitchen.

"Hi mom!" She said, hugging the woman by the fire. She turned to me. "Hi Sashio! Want to come with me to the Library? Come on!" She dragged me upstairs to the library and wouldn't let me leave. I decided that I could do some research. I walked to the Occult section and started reading. I read about The Strangling Ritual in Himuro Mansion, The Crimson Twin Sacrifice in Minakami Village, The Tattooed Ritual in The Manor Of Sleep, The Lunar Eclipse Ritual on Rougetsu Island, and finally, The Mirror Ritual in Arisu Mansion.

_In the Mirror Ritual, a young woman is placed in front of a mirror. There, she stands for a day until a demon possesses her. Priests watching her then pull on a cord, which releases a large amount of rocks. They crush her to death, along with the demon. This ritual is performed to keep the demon in the mirror from killing all members of the house. The Mirror Shrine wherwe this happens is the only room with mirrors. Instead, residents have bowls of water as mirrors. This is to keep demons from possessing normal residents. This was discov-_

I had read enough. It was all coming together now. The comments from the upset man. The visions. Why this place was haunted. Obviously, the last ritual had failed. That would have been... Arimako's Ritual. I felt a pang of sadness over the romance-fanatic's tragic death. But if Kimonhiro lived here then... I shook the thought out of my head. It wasn't possible. I could feel Kimonhiro, we'd been childhood friends. He was adopted though... They say he was found here as a baby. No, this was an amazing coincidence. Two people named Kimonhiro, who appeared in the same place. I then realized I was back in the dark, dusty attic.

This was odd. Whenever I came back to the real world, I was in the library. I sighed as I stared down at the book. Instead of disintigrating in my hands, the book looked new. I put it in the backpack before leaving the library. I walked to the door that had been unsealed. I realized that there was an engraving in it. I looked closely and saw it was a lotus. I opened the door and walked onto a deck.

Cool night air blew across my face. I tried to scream for help, but choked on a thick veil of miasma. It was very hard to breathe, but I was managing. I walked down the stairs to the garden below. It looked as if it was once beautiful, but now it was in complete ruin. A crumbling stone statue stood before a pond filled with dead flowers. I squinted at the statue because it looked so familiar. The it hit me like a ton of bricks. When I had examined the "Ritual Book" as I called it, there was an illustration of the demon. He had tattoos around his eyes to imitate a mask. His hands ended in a sharp spike. He had a cold sneer on his face. The sneer said "I've killed your children, I've forced terror into your lives, and the day you keep a priestess away, I'll see you in hell.".

I shuddered at the horrible statue. It was splashed with a familiar substance, which I never wanted to see again. I took one last look at the bloodstained statue and headed towards a nearby shack. I noticed printing on the statue that read "Bashana". That was the demon's name. Feeling like it was watching me, I ran in the shack. My flashlight beam fell on a dead body on the ground. It suddenly shifted and groaned, and I lifted up the camera waiting for it's ghost to appear.

But the ghost never appeared. I soon realized the body wasn't _dead,_ however terribly mangled. It looked familiar and I quickly realized who it was. "Whoooooo's there?..." A raspy voice said. "Please Arimako, I didn't kill you. Don't hurt me anymore!" I stepped closer to the body. I started to quiver in fear. "It's me, Makio, Brian." I said, kneeling down beside him. "Little... Makio... Akimura?" The voice said, trying to decide between hapiness and worry. It chose worry. This man was named Brian Smith. He was a college student who had moved to Japan. He was friendly to Makio and Makio usually took care of his dog Sharpie while he was at college. "Why did you come here sweetie?" He asked, apparently in great pain, as he was struggling to speak. I told him to turn over and realized there was no miasma. It hadn't seemed to follow me when I went in the shack. A talisman was stuck to the door. When he turned over, I tried hard not to cry. He had deep gashes in his chest and stomach, and one of his ears was cut off. It seemed death had soured Arimako considerably. I felt extremely bad he was hurt. Then I remembered the police. Once they got here, they would fix him up. Brian struggled up into a standing position.

"I came here to ghost hunt, Brian. I guess I got what I wanted. Kimonhiro came with me, but... something isn't right with him. Ever since we came here..." I explained everything I knew to Brian, who nodded as he took in the information. I finally held the book out to him. I held open the Mirror Ritual page. He read it and occasionally grimaced as he silently read. After he read, he pulled a bloody shoulderbag out of a corner. Emblazed with B.S. on the front, it was very beautiful. he fumbled in it and pulled out four books. Each one was carefully wrapped in plastic and bore a shard of mirror on the front of it. The books all had mirror titles. "The Paradox of Arisu", "Arisu's Paradox", "The Impossible Paradox", and "Arisu: Home of the Devil's Paradox".

I stared at them. 'Paradox... Paradox... It could mean how this mansion was changing from lived in to haunted, but if these books were as old as they looked, how could anyone know about it? Deciding I would figure it out later, I shoved the books into my pack. "What happened to you?" I asked, scanning his bloody body. "Some bloody little witch popped up and attacked me! I was walking, and she jumped me. I reached for her, but she disappeared and left a bloodstain on the floor. Gosh, she was creepy!" Brian exclaimed. I had a feeling he was talking about the ghost who held me prisoner. Brian winced and sunk to the floor with a groan. His eyes were starting to roll back into his head. I cried out. Snatching a Sacred Water I found earlier out of my pocket, I pulled the cork of it out and opened Brian's mouth. I poured the water into his opened mouth and gasped. Brian's wounds started to instantly heal before my eyes. A large gash in his left arm closed up and all his spilled blood was sucked back into his body. Color returned to his face. His eyes came foward again, and he smiled.

"Thanks, Maky! You saved my life!" He said, hugging me tightly. After he let go of me, my question burst out. "Would you come with me and help me find Kimonhiro?" I asked, my voice sounding unusually whiny. He looked at me, a look of pity on his face. "Stop that!" I snapped, and he returned to his cheery expression. I let out a large sigh. I opened the shack's door and stepped outside, followed by Brian. We walked back into the mansion, which was still miasma free. I surveyed the hallway we were in. The Library, The Lotus Garden, and downstairs. We decided to go downstairs and investigate the other doors in the foyer. I walked to door one and kicked it hard. It crumbled not because of the force of my kick, but because of its age. I couldn't see inside it because it was completely dark. I walked in, and everything flipped!

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A/N: Yay. :D She might die. Anyway, this is my first experience with OpenOffice, so please bear with me if the chapter looks choppy. D: I hope it looks alright. If it doesn't Jenny might be dropped into my shark pit.

Jenny: (tied up) Please let it be okay! ;.;

R&R!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm not dead, just working on surprises for you nice readers. Sorry this will be short. Setting up the next chapter. Just remember: This story will be helluva long fic.

Jenny: (bored) Chapter Seven, "Why Is It So Dark?"

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Actually, the flip was just a 360° turn.

"What the... Oh god I'm dizzy..." I muttered, walking through the doorway. A man was huddled in the corner. He looked about 15, my age. He was muttering things I couldn't hear. When he looked up, his face was calm. He stood up, reaching towards me. The room I was in was the size of a large closet, so he was able the reach at the necklace with the big smiley face that I got for my last birthday. He clutched it, and ripped it off my neck.

"Hey!" I yelled, half-scared, half-angry. He clutched the metal smile in his hands, before holding it up, and shoving it into a crack in the floor, it was quickly lost. I ran towards it, but quickly stepped back as the person on the floor growled. I sent my boot into the person's face, thinking it would just pass through. But it collided with the person, who howled in pain.

"Why is it so dark?" He yelled, jumping to his feet. It seemed he had regained his senses when I kicked him.

He was Ohira Kitori, my 4th grade friend. He had always been quiet and nice, but now he seemed deranged. He had transferred schools after 4th grade.

"Follow me." I said quietly.

"Alright, Makio." Ohira said calmly. He followed me out the door. The room we went into wasn't the Foyer. Shocker. Instead, it was a hallway. Hands reached from the walls, craving their next victim. I wasn't shocked. They were just hands. I lifted the camera, ready to take a picture. What I saw through the camera wasn't just hands. They were full bodies, floating in the air. What bothered me was the fact they were all the same child. The girl who held me captive. I clicked picture after picture, making all the girls disappear.

I walked into the hall, Ohira at my heels. No ghosts left. No more hands. Just a man running towards me.

"Brian!" I called, racing to him. "You're alright!" I said, looking up into his eyes. On closer inspection, he was covered in blue bruises. Where the peculiar bruises were, his skin seemed transparent, almost ghostly. I stifled a shudder. He looked like a ghost.

"Makio, I don't know what happened. You walked in that doorway and it turned blue and shimmered. I couldn't follow you. When I touched the doorway, it electrified me. Then, these ghosts came from the door and attacked me. One grabbed my arm, and my arm started turning blue! I touched the skin later on, and _when I touched it, my hand passed through it._" Brian finished, gritting his teeth. I went to touch his arm. As my hand passed through a blue bruise, I felt a chill. Like putting my hand through one of the ghosts. But Brian wasn't dead. It seemed like he was dying, but he wasn't dead. I pulled an Herbal Medicine I found earlier from my pocket and gave it to Brian. As he swallowed the pills, many of the blue bruises disappeared. The skin there became solid again. There were still four bruises on his face, arms, and neck. He seemed happier, though.

"Thanks Makio." He said, smiling. "What should we do now?"

"I think it would be best to find a way out of here. Then we can go find Kimonhiro and get out of this hellhole." I said. Kimonhiro was still my number 1 priority. As we walked down the hall, I noticed something that horrified me.

_I was covered in blue bruises._

Why hadn't I noticed earlier? Had I just passed them off as bumping into something? I reached down to my leg, which was completely blue. My hand passed right through my leg. I gasped loudly, my heart pounding wildly. I was dying. My legs were completely blue. What if I turned all blue? Would I die? If I did, would I just slip away without noticing it, or die painfully? It seemed that some ghosts knew their horrible situation exactly, and others were oblivious to their death. Would all four of us perish before we escaped. Would we then haunt the place?

_(No, just you Makio. I am disappointed with you. Why would you ruin my nice little home for ghosts? Why are you being selfish?)_

The voice. I hadn't heard it since I entered the mansion. It didn't sound like Arimako. It sounded like...Me. I shuddered at that thought. I hadn't noticed I was in a trance, not moving. I hadn't noticed Brian shaking me, telling me to focus. I hadn't noticed that creepy voice had come from my mouth. I hadn't noticed that Ohira found a key. It had "Hellgate Key" written on it. I slowly came back to my senses.

"It's called a "Hellgate Key"? Maybe we should just put that one down." I said. The name didn't sound promising.

"Are you kidding? This key might get us out. When we get to the Foyer, let's try opening the door. Can't hurt." Ohira said.

"Yeah," Brian added. "We need to get you out, Makio. We've seen your legs. And we're all out of medicine."

I nodded, understanding. A lump was caught in my throat. I felt like something horribly wrong was going to happen because of that key. Boy, was I right. If this little adventure was a movie, the audience would be yelling "Make him put down that key!". But Ohira held the key like a beloved pet. I decided something then.

What harm could a little key do?

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A/N: I know it was a little short, but don't worry. Next chapter will be a really good one. This was just filler, and a way to introduce our fourth live character, Ohira. No spoilers for juu, though.

Jenny: Didn't the writing sorta tip people off?

Author: Shut up, Jenny, or you go in the shark pit. Won't that be a good way to celebrate your birthday?

Trivia: Makio and Kimonhiro's names were always changing. Here's a little chart to show the name flows:

Mary=Matli=Makio=Misu=Makio

Kimo=Giranta=Tora=Kimonol=Kimohiro


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: … I made a new divider for text:

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Jenny: Chapter 8, "Walking Into Hell"

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Ohira raced ahead. I looked up, free from my thoughts. The foyer was directly ahead. As we walked in, I felt like there was impending doom in the air. I held my camera tight by my side. It had plenty of all types of film. I was ready to face anything. I also noticed the door was shimmering, and it had a red hue to it. I was sure it hadn't been there before. I told Ohira to stop. He didn't listen to me. He ran towards the door. I grabbed him by his orange hoodie. He shook free from my grasp. I noticed a third thing as he turned the key in the lock of the door.

_There never used to be a lock on that door._

This was bad. Arimako was just screwing with us now. I was changing things, giving us false hope just so I could crush us again. As Ohira opened the doors, a blinding light filled our eyes. I screamed for joy in my head. Ohira had found a way out! We could leave this hellhole as soon as we found Kimonhiro. We could all live. I would be going to highschool again, enjoying life. I would never take life for granted again. Sadly, I didn't know Ohira was about to seal his and someone's fate.

Ohira walked into bright flames, but he seemed oblivious of them. He literally walked into Hell.

"C'mon, I, Brian!" he called, gesturing for us to go in the door with him. No one moved. Ohira wasn't flaming. He seemed perfectly fine.

"Quick, let's get outta here! I, I know about Kimonhiro, but what are the chances he isn't already a ghost? We need to go, or we're just walking back into Hell. We can see our families they must be worr-" Ohira stopped mid-sentence, as if realizing what he just did. He screamed loudly, and the flames engulfed him. He flailed wildly, almost like he was dancing. His screaming attracted ghosts. They came in mass waves, following Ohira through the doorway. He fell as they crowded around him, reaching their transparent hands over him. They quickly engulfed him, and he disappeared from view. I couldn't help myself.

I screamed loudly. So did Brian. Those ghosts looked like they were **eating** Ohira. I stifled the urge to vomit as they reached onto his skin and pulled the flesh off. Underneath, there was transparent, blue, ghostly skin. They threw the skin in the fire, farther in. Another large wave of ghosts appeared. They looked at Brian and me. Brian let out a primal roar.

"**I! RUN!**" he roared, directing the ghosts to attack him. They also engulfed Brian, tearing skin off. I held my camera up. I took a picture, but the ghosts all held flesh in their hands. When I took their picture, nothing happened. It seemed something live protected the ghosts. It was good to know, but immensely frustrating.

I took one last look at Brian. The look said everything I wanted to tell him.

_I'm Sorry._

_If I could, I would save you._

_You're like my big brother._

_Goodbye._

_Thank you._

I ran to the only open door there was. I felt like a coward for running. Real heroes protected their friends. They didn't run away. I turned to watch the scene unfold. The ghosts did exactly what they did to Ohira. At some point, something dawned on me. One of the ghosts killing Brian was Ohira. The door to Hell was closed again. The key sat in the lock. I wasn't going to touch it. That key had caused two murders. Eventually, I would see Brian and Ohira again. I'd have to fight them with the camera.

Ghosts floated up. Brian, the ghost Brian, stood up. All the ghosts, even Ohira and Brian, floated toward me. I was frozen in fear. All I could do was clench my eyes shut, and wait to die. A cold hand gently touched my arm. I kept my eyes closed. That is, until I heard the voice.

"_**Leave the priestess alone."**_

It took me only a second to match the voice to a person. It was that little girl. I had appeared to do nothing but taunt, scare, and hurt me, but now I seemed like a brilliant savior. I opened my eyes. The little girl stood there, glaring at the ghosts. They seemed afraid of her. They backed away with wide eyes. One ghost whimpered.

"_**That is what I believed you would do."**_

The little girl looked satisfied. I turned to me.

"_**Priestess, I believe you have seen enough. Come with me...The ritual will begin soon. It is such a disappointment it had to come to this."**_

The words were eerie and mysterious. The ritual...Disappointment? Priestess? I looked down at my body. As my head fell down to look at my clothes, they changed before my eyes. Jeans and jacket turned to kimono. Boots became sandals. I gasped. It had happened so quickly. Once again, I was Sashio. Thoughts came to me, odd things I had missed earlier. For one, Sashio sounded eerily similar to I. Second, people were mistaking me for Sashio. Even if I wore the same clothes as her, there would have been a difference in looks, most likely. But what if I was my ancestor? It could be, but wouldn't Sashio have died when Arimako came back? Or would Arimako recognize her best friend and spare her life? It seemed like the closer I got to finding the truth, the more mysteries would appear to set me back.

I sighed, realizing there was no other way. But...Something was wrong. I was walking, but I had no control over my body. I wasn't being dragged, I was sure of that. I heard angry whispers behind me.

"I cannot believe the disgrace just got up and ran away! The nerve of her..." Voice 1 hissed.

"Well, I is the one paying. If I is hiding here, I will have to watch her best friend die for the ritual." Voice 2 said.

"I suppose you are right, Shin. I might even come out herself. Oh, if I does, I only hope I'm fast enough to spear her through her body. The insolent disgrace...Coward...I deserves to die. Only the brave should be allowed to live." Voice 1 replied. Suddenly, my body jerked forward, and began to run. I was caught roughly by two pairs of hands on each shoulder.

"Honey, you are brave. Accept your fate. I is gone. The ritual is mere moments away. Just think, you are saving hundreds of lives in the mansion. For the price of your life, your family is safe." Voice 2 said. My body jerked away from their grasp, and walked slowly. I didn't run again, just kept walking towards a door that was frighteningly familiar. It had only one difference. The mirror on the door was intact.

"My, that door scares me even just looking at it..." Voice 2 said.

"Well then, why did you become a monk?" Voice 1 replied sharply. Voice 2 silenced itself. As the door opened, Voice 1 and 2 screamed. Harsh wind blew through the door, causing the Voices and me to fall down. The Voices' bodies fell to the ground with a thump, but I kept falling, falling into darkness. I closed my eyes, just waiting for the thump that confirmed I was on the ground. Voices whispered.

"_**Terribly sorry. I don't know what that wind was..."**_

_**(That wind means stay out, I. Go in there again and you die.)**_

**Thump.**

I groaned, in pain. Hitting the floor had REALLY hurt. At least I hadn't fallen so hard I broke something or got seriously injured. Of course, trying to stand up, I realized my ankle was twisted. I silently cursed myself. I couldn't have controlled falling, but I needed to blame someone, and everyone else was dead. I turned around, but I cried out.

Brian's ghost stood in front of me. He didn't have the haunted look most ghosts had, though. He seemed normal, albeit being translucent and blue, both in attitude AND color.

"Ma...Maki...I...Foll...Follow m...Follow me..." he stuttered, floating in front of I.

"What happened to you?"

"I...Will n...Will no long...longer...walk the...Earth."

I sat, upset. I wasn't at my breaking point, but I was dangerously close. If anything else happened, I would lose my sense. I couldn't afford to lose my senses. Tears threatened to spill again.

"Don't...cry. Follow...me..." Brian floated away, down a hall. I struggled to stand up. My legs couldn't support my weight very well. I was exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, and upset. I was close to dying myself. I had noticed all my blue bruises. I wasn't covered yet, but close. 

I began to run after Brian, who floated through a door. Wait, wasn't this door locked? I heard a click, and the door opened. Brian had opened it. I ran through the doorway. Everything was twisted now. I wasn't in the present, but I wasn't in the past. Some parts of the room looked new, and other parts were dilapidated.

"You have...almost solved...This, I. The world y...you know is broken...warped."

I put my arm in the new parts of the room. My bruises dissolved and a kimono sleeve appeared on my arm. When I put my hand back into the old room, the bruises returned and the kimono sleeve was gone.

"Mirror!" Brian yelled, and vaniId. I turned, and realized there was a mirror in the room. A girl stood in the mirror. Me? Her faced was covered in shadows, her kimono torn and red in spots, and I was a translucent blue. I shook her head and smiled. I raised her arm, pointing at me.

_**(I shall see you in the Broken Promise...)**_

The smile faded from her lips, and scenes played out in the mirror, with sound.

"_Why me?" a girl said, sobbing._

_**(I left me behind, `to protect herself)**_

"_It is alright, *static***" **the priest said, laying his hand on a girl's shoulder._

_**(Father...I loved him, he told me it was alright, and let me die...)**_

_A woman walked down the hall, surrounded by mirror shards. People around her ducked into rooms, hiding. I would walk into the rooms, and come back out after a scream was heard. I would be missing a mirror shard. I reached a room filled with mirrors, which was empty. I stared at her many reflections. Tears dripped from her face. I had one mirror shard left. I sent it into her chest, into her heart. I got up again, unfazed._

"_Why can't I die?" I sobbed._

_**(Please kill me when we meet. I cannot bear this anymore. Help me...Help me...Help me...)**_

_Finally, a girl and a boy walking into a mansion._

"_Let's get in there. I wanna see a ghost."_

"_I'm kind of scared, I. There's something wrong with this place."_

_The girl suddenly stood in a dark haze. It was extremely difficult to see what was happening. I was faced by something, and_

_**(Then everything...went black.)**_

The images disappeared, leaving me staring at myself in the mirror. I shivered violently. Everything quickly became warm. Sweat began to drip down my face. I was trapped in heavy, thick clothes, and it was boiling hot. The mirror fogged up. Writing appeared on it:

**Help me.**

**Help me.**

**Help me.**

**Help me.**

**Help me.**

**Help me.**

**Help me.**

I moved back quickly and raised my camera, expecting to see a red ring around a ghost. I did see a ghost, though. The ring was blue. That meant...? Wait, didn't, Kimohiro have a camera with a blue ring? Didn't it mean a non-hostile ghost? But my camera was glowing blue...I clicked the camera's shutter.

An image of the mirror appeared on the photo, but quickly changed. In its place, was a picture of the Mirror Shrine. Kimonhiro was standing by one of the mirrors. Arimako stood behind him, in the mirror. Her arms threatened to grab him at any minute. I dropped the photo and began to run. I tried to open the door, only realizing something was blocking it.

_**(Mirror. Use the mirror. I've enabled it for you to travel. Anything for you to come and set me free...)**_

I hesitantly walked up to the mirror. I held a finger up to it. I tried to push it in. To my utter surprise, my hand went through the glass like it was water. Realizing I had to hurry, I dived into the mirror. I ran in white nothingness. The watery feeling was being replaced by a running through cement feeling. Eventually, I could no longer move.

_**(The mansion is trying to stop you. It was one of my earlier...precautions. I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen, but...I will have to destroy this mansion. Give me a minute.)**_

I waited for what felt like an hour, when the voice returned.

_**(After you set me free, you will have 3 minutes to escape the mansion. After 3 minutes, the mansion will rapidly deteriorate itself and everything in it. You may now get to the Mirror Shrine.)**_

I walked again like I was walking through air. I began to run towards a rectangular light. As I jumped into it, I heard shattering glass and a thud. I had landed on someone. Looking down, I realized I had landed on Kimonhiro. What the hell was poking me, anyway? I looked down to realize it was...my camera.

"Oh." I said, slightly annoyed.

"Makio." Kimohiro said, leaning up and wrapping his arms around my back. "You're alright."

I hugged him back.

"You're alright." I echoed, smiling. Suddenly, I remembered Arimako. I turned to the mirror. A girl stood there, frowning. Shards of glass surrounded her. She looked like...

**Me.**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Gotta be quiet about this. :x

Jenny: M-

Me: Do you really wanna die?

Jenny: Yes! I'm tired of working for you! Y'know what? I. QUIT. =Stomps out=

Me: ...Chapter 9, "Conclusions And Delusions".

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"No...NO!" I yelled, jumping off Kimonhiro and struggling to crawl back. The image was gone. I curled up and started to cry. I was breaking. Arms wrapped around me. Instinctively, I held up the camera to Kimonhiro's face. The capture circle turned blue. I screamed. What was happening? The camera captured ghost, not...I felt like throwing up. Was I losing my mind? Yes. Was this all a delusion? Probably, yes. Should I have come to a conclusion? No, not yet. I had a feeling this was almost over. Soon, the nightmare would end. Too much had happened to me. Nothing would ever stop me again. I dropped the camera, and heard a crack. Looking down, I found, to my horror, that the camera was cracked apart.

Suddenly, a girl appeared in front of me. She was the girl who had appeared so many times...The unsolved question. Who was she?

"I am Itashi...Please, she will be expecting you." the ghost girl said, gesturing towards the mirror. I held my arm to it, expecting to go through it. I had to get out of the mansion...I felt cold glass on my hand.

"Do not let your reflection deceive you..." Itashi said.

"What do you mean?"

"I cannot. I will not, nor ever, mean. I have no meaning. I am not meaning. I do not know meaning." Itashi said.

"What?" I asked.

"I cannot tell you."

"Fine." I said, turning to the mirror. Reflections...Deceptions...

And suddenly, it all clicked into place.

I pulled my fist back, before punching the mirror with all my strength. Glass flew everywhere, cutting me. Kimonhiro was yelling in the distance, but I was already gone. I continued smashing the mirror, until it was gone off the wall. Behind, a skeleton fell to the ground. Itashi whimpered, running away from the skeleton.

"Memories flood me...I hid behind the mirror, Auntie told me how to. She said she would come back, but she never did..." Itashi whispered. I stared, coldly at her. I had used up all my sympathy for her. Itashi looked at me, sullenly.

"Let me go. Free me. Free _us._" she pleaded, holding her ghostly arms out to me. "The priestess is waiting..."

_**(Arimako Arimako Arimako Arimako Arimako Arimako Arimako...No!)**_

The voice slurred my brain. I became dizzy, and fell to the ground. Soon, I slipped into darkness. When the light reappeared, I stared at two people. Person one, Arimako. Person two...was me.

_**(Let's play the guessing game. Guess who killed ALL OF US?)**_

The light faded again, and darkness took over. Dark patterns appeared beneath my eyelids. Swirling thorns, large smiles that became frowns. I heard yelling, and I was shook back into the living world.

"Makio..." Kimonhiro muttered, hugging me. "What's going on...?" I struggled to escape his grasp.

"Let me go! I have to go, Kimohiro!" I yelled at him, angrily. I just wanted to find Arimako and end this all.

"**TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!" **Kimonhiro screamed,pushing me. I fell backwards, and tried to get away. He had actually...hurt me...But he did deserve to know...

"Makio, I'm sorry..." Kimonhiro said. "I'm scared. I want to leave..."

Soon, I had told him the full story of what had happened. I held my camera up to him again. No light in the ring. He was perfectly human. Tears welled in my eyes. That's when I noticed the mirror intact.

"How could...?" I asked.

"Makio...I can't let you leave. Arimako will kill you. I just...know she will. You've seen what she's capable of...I think...that...Well, she wiped my memory. I only remember losing you and...blank. Last I remember, I woke up here, right as you appeared. She's trying to keep us away from each other...Maybe so it's easier for her to do away with us? Maybe because she thinks we'll break faster."

"Kimonhiro, she broke me a long time ago. She can't do much to me anymore...Except kill me. If I die, tell my parents I love them. Stay alive, and happy." I said, standing up. Kimonhiro started to protest, but then looked in my eyes.

"...I can't stop you, can I?" Kimonhiro whispered, looking up at me with sadness.

"I just want the nightmare to end." I whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Can I come with you to fight?" he asked.

_**(No! You must end this. It is because...)**_

The voice trailed off.

_**(No, you musn't. Help me.)**_

I pitied the voice. She was desperate.

"You...can't. I'm sorry. Good luck."

I noticed Kimohiro stand up.

"Then let this," he said. "Be a good luck charm." He lifted my chin before kissing me. As he backed away, he smiled. He pulled his Neko-Kitty necklace off and put it on my neck.

"Thank you..." I muttered, hugging him. We were both crying.

I pulled away. I had to end this, now. But where? The mirrors in here wouldn't let me...I was so unsure.

"Makio...the mirror you tried to walk into...It just shattered, without making a sound. I saw the pieces just vanish. If she wants you to fight her, why is she making it so difficult?" Kimonhiro said. Wait...What? I turned towards the mirror. Sure enough, it was shattered. I thought she wanted this to end? The voice was silenced. I didn't understand. I had to find those pieces, though...

"Kimonhiro, how many shards were there?"

"Three big shards. They just vanished...I think I saw words in them. One said 'Foyer', one said 'Shrine', and one just said 'Help me!' over and over." Kimonhiro replied. Shrine...That was here. I looked around, and sure enough, a large piece of glass pierced the skeleton. Itashi was sitting by it, and that's when I noticed her wound. A large gash was in her chest...When I noticed it, Itashi looked up.

"I fear." she said. Suddenly, she fell over. I ran to her. She could give me valuable information...I tried to shake her, ignoring the cold, blue bruises spreading over my arms. Eventually, I couldn't take the cold, and pulled my hands from her. She stared at the camera around my neck, along with Kimonhiro's necklace.

"Can you...free me?" she asked, weakly. Free her? She meant for me to Fatal Frame her...so she could leave the mansion. I suddenly wanted to become a ghost. Kimohiro could attack me with the camera, and free my soul...No, I was being selfish. I couldn't leave Kimonhiro with Arimako. I wondered if the Camera Obsecura actually caused ghosts pain?

"Itashi...What has happened? Why is the mirror like this? What happened to the mansion? Who is Sashio? Who is Arimako?" I asked. Itashi flinched when I said 'Sashio', but not when I said 'Arimako'. That was...peculiar. She tried to answer my questions in one-word answers.

"Why did the mirror just break?"

"Conflicted..."

"What happened to the mansion?"

"..."

"What happened to the mansion, Itashi?"

". . ."

"Itas-"

"Be quiet!" Itashi hissed, tears leaking from her eyes. Her expression softened. "Please, I can't tell. The word is unable to be spoken by me. It cannot escape my lips now." I sensed Itashi was genuinely trying to talk to me, but couldn't. Eventually, her being began to flicker in and out of existence. Even without the camera, Itashi was being freed.

Or so I thought.

As Itashi's body disappeared, only her head was visible. She whimpered and cried. Suddenly, she gasped.

"Makio!" she yelled, before blinking out of the world. Unspoken words flew through the air. Bits and pieces of words could be heard. I listened closely.

"Makio...Torture...Me...Punishment...Goodbye...Free...Foyer...Dead...Sashio..."

The next several words solved one problem.

"Shard...Where...You...I...Stayed...Cold...Grip..."

That was when I was captured by Itashi! She gripped my hand and started to kill me. She only wanted a friend. And now, because of Makio, Itashi was currently being tortured. I knew I had to get to that room. Luckily, it was right outside the Mirror Shrine's door. I pushed on the door, opening it. The hallway was partly sunny, and partly dark. It was like the other room...The room I was captive in was dilapidated and dark. I pointed the flashlight at the corner of the room where I had been held. Sure enough, the mirror shard was there.

As I grabbed the mirror shard, though, the room became sunny. Itashi played with Sashio's mother.

"I love you, Auntie." Itashi said, hugging Sashio's mother. That meant...Itashi was Sashio's cousin. An unspoken word had mentioned Itashi and Sashio. I had faintly believed I was an incarnation of Sashio, but that was false. Itashi had recognized me as 'Makio'. As I left the room, Itashi and her aunt slowly faded away. The room once again became dark. A tear rolled down my cheek, realizing these two probably never got to say goodbye to each other. I walked back into the hall. One person faced me. Sashio's mother.

"Itashi...Stay here...It will be safe..._ is coming." Part of her sentence was dead air, no words. Arimako was blanking out the word...But why? I already knew it was her. I had too many unanswered questions...The room was regular again. I walked into the Mirror Shrine. To my surprise and fear, no one was there. Suddenly, high-pitched screams filled my ears. This sound...Was demonic...In the mirror, people flew through the haze.

Brian.

Ohira.

Kimonhiro.

Mom.

Dad.

Itashi.

Sashio's mother.

My acting teacher.

My choir director.

The cheerleaders of my school faded in one by one, as dead as everyone else. They had no hair on their heads.

**They waved pompoms made of hair around.**

I jumped back, and managed not to vomit. Arimako was breaking me over and over, pushing my limits all the time. Nothing could hurt me again? Yeah, until Arimako pulled another horror from her kimono sleeve. Two more people came into the mirror, dead.

Arimako.

Me.

I was questioning why Sashio wasn't appearing. Itashi flinched at Sashio's name. That made sense. It was devastating to hear about your dead family. Why she wasn't appearing? Maybe because I looked like her, I didn't notice that the image of me was Sashio. I felt like I was in math class. Equations I just couldn't understand...

_**(Fool.)**_

What? Arimako called me a fool...

_**(Do you think you're Arimako?)**_

No! Why would I think that?

_**(You...Are nothing but a fool.)**_

I had had enough!

"Shut up!" I screamed, kicking a mirror with Brian on it. It shattered, revealing a bloody skeleton. I screamed, and backed away. Bumping into a mirror with Ohira on it, that one shattered too. A bloody skeleton fell from that one too. I was crying now, and stumbling into mirrors. Slowly, they all broke to reveal bloody skeletons. Finally, I caught myself before I broke my own. I didn't want to see what was in there. Suddenly, a ghostly force smashed the mirror. It revealed...a doorway? I stared into it, seeing darkness. What hell was in there? I took a breath, and walked through the doorway. Everything was sunny again, but I wasn't wearing a kimono. I was looking in third-person at the scene.

People screamed, and ran into their rooms. Mothers grabbed their children and ran. Men stood, holding sharp staffs and shaking. A girl walked down the hall, surrounded by mirror shards. I couldn't see her face. Suddenly, she laughed. A mirror shard flew at a mother, stabbing her through the back and chest. She fell forward, crushing her child under her weight. The child couldn't move. The girl impaled him, too. She had tears streaming from her eyes, but she laughed in a deep, rumbling laugh. A man spoke.

"You...are nothing but a devil!" he cried, throwing the staff at her. Bad idea. She grabbed it in her ghostly blue hands, and threw it back. It went through the man's forehead. Arimako was extremely strong as a ghost. Then men stood, holding hands. They blocked the hallway. One held a tag up. Another held a holy scroll. Arimako frowned, but continued laughing. Within seconds, her mirror shards were gone. She transformed...into a regular girl. She started to cry, and held her face in her hands.

"Help me..." she cried. "I must get by...and leave the mansion. The sunlight...will destroy me."

The men let her pass. Bad mistake #2. She smiled as she walked behind them. Their backs were turned to her. She transformed back into her ghost form, and her mirror shards slowly appeared, but they were embedded into the mens' backs.

"I guess I...stabbed you in the back, didn't I?" she whispered, as they fell to the ground. She killed people left and right, impaling them. She suddenly stopped smiling.

"I...can't...control...the demon..." she whispered, falling to the ground. Marks appeared around her throat. She barely managed to gasp, and her face turned blue. She stopped breathing, and finally died. She didn't awaken.

_**(Mother...I'm sorry! I couldn't stop it...Makio. End...This...Now! I cannot stop the pain. My reflection threatens to destroy me. End the pain! End our sorrow! Stop Bashana!)**_

Bashana! The demon! I remembered...in the yard of the mansion, a statue of Bashana stood there. He was spattered with blood, his hands ended with spikes...How the hell could I destroy that? He would impale me before I lifted my camera...Nevertheless, I had to fight. One more scene played out. Arimako walked up to the statue of Bashana. He was bloodless. Suddenly, Arimako released a red substance from her mouth. Whatever it was, her mouth was ripped wide open. Her bottom jaw ripped off, covering the statue in blood. A mallet flew up, and embedded itself in Bashana's eye. Then, I was in the Foyer.

"Why is she making this easy...?" I muttered, picking up the mirror shard, that was right next to me.

_**(I want...you to end this! Get...the mallet.)**_

I heard a click. One of the previously locked doors opened itself. Walking through it, I realized I was in the hall where the door to the yard was. I tried to open it, but to no avail. The door stayed shut. The second time I tried to pull it, it turned blue and shocked me. If I couldn't do that yet, I decided to fix the mirror in the Shrine.

_**(Let me help you.)**_

As I blinked, I was back in the Mirror Shrine. All the mirrors were repaired. Kimonhiro sat on the floor, extremely tense. If I had fought Arimako...The mansion would have collapsed on him. I had forgot to warn him.

"Kimonhiro..." I muttered.

"Makio!" Kimonhiro ran up to me, hugging me. "You beat her!"

"No..."said, pushing away. "I'm an idiot. If I did beat her, you would be dead."

"What?..."

"The mansion will collapse a minute after I destroy Arimako. Be close to a window from now on."

"Got it."

Makio pushed the final shard of mirror into place. It mended itself. I put my hand on it. It went through, like air.

"Goodbye...Kimonhiro..."

"Goodbye...Makio..."

I walked into the mirror. As I walked out, I dropped about a foot. Luckily, I landed on my feet. After I felt the shock go away, I walked towards the statue. It was now coated in blood, painted with the crimson life. The mallet laid in its stone eye. How could I get it? What was it even for?

_**(She is deceiving you. I will show you the truth.)**_

I blinked, and the mallet was on the ground. The statue had only a small stain on the bottom. I picked up the mallet. I looked up at the statue, and realized a force was guiding my arm to the statue.

"I know what to do..." I said, and the force was gone.

_**(We are running out of time. I have to stop now. Good luck, Makio. Maybe we will meet again, someday...)**_

That didn't make sense. Arimako would see me when we fought, right? Who did she mean by 'she'? Not her, but someone else...I decided to focus on the task at hand. I swung the heavy mallet at the statue. As it collided, a chunk of rock fell from the statue. Then, it just fell apart.

"Hey!" I jumped out of the way as one sharpened stone hand flew at me. Underneath the statue, there was a note, and a small trapdoor. The note read:

Destroy the statue when the ritual has gone wrong. The door leads to the soul of the demon, and you will find her there. Use the cameras Dr. Asou gave us to control her.

I stared at the note. The soul of the demon. That was where the trapdoor went. Just fucking _great. _I opened the trapdoor, took a breath, said a few prayers, and descended the ladder that went down, down into the end.

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A/N: We have reached the almost end! 8D About Jenny...Unfortunately, she has resigned. We bid her a fond farewell...

Jenny: Author...I...I'm sorry. I'm just stressed, and...Can I have my job back.

Me: Sure.

Trivia!:

Itashi was actually planned to be the villain! The foyer would be more important, and Brian and Ohira would be in the last chapter! They still might be. ;)

Note: There will be multiple endings to this story, but the first one I post is the canon one.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Bwahahahaha! 8D

Jenny: xD They fell for it!

Me: Hopefully they did...

Jenny: …

Me: …

Jenny: Negativity! D8 Anyway, Ending A, "Watching Over You"!

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I descended the ladder, and as I did, it got darker and darker. I felt like I was running straight to death. Well, I was actually dropping to death. Finally, my feet touched ground. I looked down and saw myself. A mirror floor. Interesting. Suddenly, a voice spoke.

"Are you there?"

Itachi. She was speaking. When she came out from the shadows, I wish she hadn't.

Itachi didn't look like anything anymore. Her kimono was bloody and torn just about everywhere. Parts of her were just nonexistent. Fingers missing, a foot gone.

"This was my punishment..." she muttered, falling forward. I ran to her. "I'll be free...once you destroy Bashana...She...controlled..by...Bashana...didn't...mean..." Itashi was having trouble speaking.

"Silence!" another voice called. Chains appeared around Itashi's feet and hands.

"Goodbye, Makio." she whispered. She was quickly dragged back into the shadows. A girl stepped out. Arimako.

"Makio...You made it." Arimako said, looking down. She smiled, then frowned. "You aren't free, either. Makio, you realize there is a small chance of living through this, correct?" I nodded. I understood. I just planned to live. I held my camera up.

"Be free." I clicked the shutter, only to realize she had moved.

"Did you really think I would let you just...send me away? No, no. This will be a _proper _battle."

"So be it." I held a defensive stance. Arimako twirled through the air. I couldn't focus on her and take a shot. If I managed to catch her in a shot, she was unharmed.

_**(She is a lie! Makio, she is deceiving you again! Use the mallet!)**_

Huh? Did Arimako just tell me how to beat her?

_**(Oh...You haven't figured it out.)**_

Figured what out? That Arimako had a freakin' split personality? I knew that. I used the mallet anyway. Swinging it at Arimako, I thought, _how's it gonna hit a ghost?_ But it collided with Arimako. She broke, like ceramic. Parts of her fell off, revealing Makio's double behind it. She wore the brown kimono.

**Sashio.**

It all made sense now. That voice was Arimako, yes...but the bad guy was Sashio.

"Why?...How did this happen to you, Sashio?"

_**(I think I can explain...)**_

Arimako stepped from the shadows. She wore a light green kimono, and was fairly pretty.

"I was the priestess...I was supposed to absorb Bashana. I was so scared, and Sashio would be next in line for priestess. We were best friends, you know? We played everyday."

"We _used to be_ friends, Arimako." Sashio hissed.

"You can't forgive me? I can't forgive _you._ Makio, I ran away. I ran far, far away. I didn't stop. But when I eventually _did _stop...I looked in a mirror. Sashio was waiting, and everything went black. Sashio killed me...brought me here...for eternity. It was my punishment. What happened in the mansion, I'm not 100% sure. Sashio, you tell her..."

"Fine. Well, it all went according to plan. But _malice_, is a feeling that attracts demons like a moth to a candle flame... One priest hated me. He thought I was treated too well as the Priestess's _friend._" Sashio spit the word 'friend' like venom. "The ceremony failed. The mirror was smashed too late, and I survived the rock fall. I flew through the mansion, and killed them all...They deserved it. I only wish Arimako was there. I would have enjoyed murdering her."

"You were as scared as I was!" Arimako yelled.

"But I didn't run away!" Sashio yelled back. "And now, Makio...Time for the grand finale." Blood ran down Sashio's arms, coating her arms and hands completely. The blood thickened, became rubbery. Bashana's tattoo spread across Sashio's face, creating that mask. Her hands slowly transformed into spikes. I knew who she looked like now. My drama teacher had that tattooed mask and red gloves.

"She is dece-"

"Silence!" Sashio screamed. She made a duplicate of herself, which grabbed Arimako and pulled her into the shadows. A struggle could be heard in the shadows, and Arimako finally fell out of the shadows. She was becoming transparent, and fading away quickly.

" Makio will win...I will personally make sure you stay in this hell...Forever." Arimako was gone with those words.

Sashio was pale gray. Duplicating seemed to make her weaker. I raised my camera and took a snapshot. Sashio backed away, and screamed. As her double reentered her, she raised her head and smiled. She brought her hand up, and showed me her palm. Suddenly, a giant pile of rocks flew at me from above. I jumped out of the way as the rocks cracked the mirror floor.

"You-"

Sashio became 10.

"Cannot-"

Sashio became 20.

"Defeat-"

Sashio exploded into 50 copies. She filled the room, all copies looking normally evil.

"Death!"

Sashio appeared in front of me, withered and gasping. Her bony arms grasped my head, crushing it. I screamed as pain shot through my head. My skull would crack in a second. I used every ounce of power, to lift my camera and take a photo. As I lifted the camera, I saw Sashio was healthy again.

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

Sashio shattered, nothing but a thin, fragile copy. Sashio's duplicates all seemed to have a connection to the wall. I looked up at the ghostly tethers. They came from a mirror, high up.

"I have to destroy the mirror." I muttered to myself. I searched the floor for the mallet I had dropped.

"Looking for this?" a voice said, behind me. I turned. Itashi was free of her chains. "Arimako manged to free me." Itashi gave me the mallet, just as a copy attacked me. I swung the mallet, shattering it. I looked up at the mirror. I only had one shot. If I missed, the mallet would land in the crowd of copies.

"No!"

The real Sashio jumped at me, reaching for the mallet.

"Not this time, you _bitch._" I swung the mallet at her, allowing it to go through her. Her ghostly form was scrambled, and she slowly became herself again. I quickly through the mallet.

**It missed the mirror.**

It landed in the crowd of copies. I heard a loud crack. The floor was cracking! I didn't have time to wonder what was under the floor. I looked around, frantic. I grabbed the latter as the floor came apart. It split into four parts. Copies filled two corners, and one was occupied by Itashi. I stood in the last corner. Underneath the floor...there was nothing. Black. I pulled the watch from my wrist, because I was currently safe. Jumping off the ladder, I walked to the edge. I threw the watch down, waiting to hear a click as it shattered at the bottom.

**I never heard it shatter.**

I stared, horrified at the edge. The mallet! I looked, and a copy dangled it into the pit.

"Makio, take a picture." Itashi said.

"But the mallet will fall!" I yelled.

"It won't." Itashi firmly said. "Trust me."

"What have I got to lose?" I muttered to myself. I raised the camera.

_**Click! Whirl! Flash!**_

The copy shattered, and the mallet fell over the edge. I looked to Itashi, an saw a tear roll down her cheek. She jumped into the abyss, and when she was finally gone, the mallet flew up and back into my hand. I knew that was a trick Itashi could only do once. She had sacrificed her chance to be free to help me. I couldn't hold back the tears rolling down my cheeks. Itashi was just a little girl. She would always be a little girl. She would never have her first kiss, get a car, get married, have children...Sashio was a monster. I felt an even stronger hatred towards her. Copies surrounded me once more. I threw the mallet, _determined_ to hit the mirror.

**SMASH!**

The mirror shattered, and as soon as it did, the copies let out ear-splitting screams and went exactly as the mirror did. Sashio was alone now, curled up to her knees. She was white, paper-white.

"I was always alone...Friendless...Makio, can we be friends?" she whispered, shaking.

"Friends? With you? I would rather _die!_" I snarled.

"As you wish..."

Sashio slowly transformed into Kimohiro. It was then I noticed how much they looked alike.

"The thing is, I have Bashana's special power. If you kill me while I'm someone else...That person dies." Sashio was a crafty, twisted monster. One keyword rang out in my head though: _Bashana_. Was Sashio really doing this? Was she being forced? A marionette, forced to do her master's bidding, and she dances and dances, but knows that the strings will never break...Voices in my head overlapped. I struggled to hear Arimako and Itashi through the chorus of cries. They told me they weren't free yet, they needed me.

"Make her mad. Egg her on." Itashi said.

"She had a bad temper...She will revert and try to kill you. That's when you need to take a shot." Arimako said. I decided to take their advice.

"Sashio, you know what you are? Nothing. You're a loner nobody. A lunatic. No one will _ever_ like you. You pretend to be so dangerous, but really, you're a coward! You have copies and others do your bidding. You made the ritual fail. I saw you!" The words came from my mouth, but they came with a deep voice. I realized this was the priest who hated Sashio. I continued. "You are weak, killing your family and friends, innocent people."

"_**THERE WAS NOTHING INNOCENT ABOUT THEM**_**!" **Sashio screamed at me. Tears dropped from her face. "They killed innocent people to keep their sinning selves alive..."

"But it was your duty."

"It was Arimako's duty."

"She ran away."

"You never let me."

"We didn't want to die."

"You deserved to."

"And so we did."

"Why did you stand up to me?"

"I knew you were a coward."

"I am not a coward."

"Yes you are! Nothing but a moronic, nasty, coward!"

Sashio glared at me. Suddenly, Kimohiro was gone, and Sashio was back. She ran at me, screaming and crying.

"They made me die! They made me kill! Help me!"

I raised the camera when she was three inches away. The ring glowed red, and the letters around it were charged. A perfect Fatal Frame.

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

Sashio stumbled back, then tried running again.

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

Sashio ran weakly at me.

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

Sashio dropped to her knees, and mirror shards appeared in her body. She was covered. Glass covered her arms, legs, and they stuck out of her head in a wreath-like shape. On her kimono, words made of blood covered it.

**Why?**

I looked at Sashio, and gasped. Suddenly, a red burst of light flew from her chest, and formed. It was Bashana.

"You defeated the body. I knew she was weak...I couldn't trust her with a simple task." He muttered. Suddenly, he smiled at me.

"You will make a nice host."

I screamed. He had plunged his sharp hand into my chest, and I felt him crushing my heart.

"Die like a good girl..."

"Leave her alone."

The tone was icy, and I knew who it was.

**Sashio.**

She struggled to stand. She was trying to save me. Bashana turned to face her, and his hand left my chest. I gasped for air, and felt my cold heart start beating again. People started to appear around Sashio. Arimako and Itashi were to her left and right, respectively. Priests, and random people started to surround Bashana, glaring at the demon. Finally, the priest that hated Sashio stepped up to Bashana. He made a bold move, and grabbed Bashana's face.

"You will _never _harm us again."

Bashana tried to stab the priest, but it failed. His hand passed through the priest. The priest held his staff. Itashi frowned, and walked up to Bashana. She grabbed his legs, paralyzing him with cold electricity. The priest stabbed him through the chest with the staff. Bashana gasped, and started to yell, angrily. Ash poured from his wound, and Itashi was blinded. She let go of his leg, which gave Bashana the chance to mentally force the ghosts over the edge. Some made it to another corner, but others fell into the abyss. One of the people who fell was Sashio's mother. That's when I noticed Brian and Ohira. They fought Bashana alone, but he easily sent them away. Brian managed to get to a corner, and Ohira fell. Tears rolled down my cheek. I was alone with Bashana now. I couldn't give up now. If I could defeat Bashana once, couldn't I do it again? I stopped crying.

"Go back to hell." I said. I raised the camera.

_**Click!Whirl!Flash!**_

"Tell the others demons I won't deal with their shit." That was all it took, Bashana faded away, glaring. At the last second, he crumbled into dust. For good measure, I kicked half of it into the abyss. I heard a cracking sound, and looked down, just in time to see the mirror floor completely shatter, sending me into the abyss. The ghosts hung in mid-air, staring down at me. Suddenly, Sashio fell forwards, reaching my side as we fell.

"Makio! You did it! The mansion will become normal again. You will fall quite a distance when we reach the end of the abyss. Please, don't die...And thank you, for saving us." Sashio hugged me then. I felt weird, hugging myself. I still hugged back. And as the darkness consumed me, I sensed that Sashio was gone.

Harsh light suddenly filled my eyes. I was falling. I had time for a ten second scream before I hit the ground.

**Splash!**

I had landed in a deep pond. Despite my extreme pain, I was alive. Suddenly, Kimonhiro stood in front of the pond.

"Kimonhiro!"

I heard the nearby whistle of a police siren. Kimonhiro grabbed my hand, and pulled me onto land. Man, his hand was ice-cold. I didn't care. I tried to get up, and found I was paralyzed from the waist down. I silently prayed it was temporary.

"Makio...I realized something today. I had suspected it ever since I entered the mansion, but now it's obvious. I'm...no different from them. I walked this earth a loooooong time ago, Makio. I know that I'm dead. You freed me. I couldn't tell you my suspicions, because you might not might Bashana. But now I'm free!" Kimonhiro floated off the ground and twirled in a circle. "Thank you, Makio. I'll never forget you. You may be an airhead sometimes, and have a bad temper, but I'll always be your friend. We'll meet again, someday...Now Makio, me and my sister, Sashio, have some catching up to do." Sashio floated to Kimonhiro's side. Together, they smiled at me, and began to ascend to heaven. I saw Brian and Ohira wave to me, and ascend, also.

"No...Take me with you...Please...Don't leave me here..." I sputtered, crying. I was cold, tired, and scarred. I wanted to die, to follow my true friends...But they left me all alone. I heard the car door. I heard "I found 'er, no sign of him!". I felt my body being lifted into an ambulance, taken to Minikami Hospital. I finally fell asleep.

_*****3 years later*****_

I walked into the theater. Nothing could scare me anymore. Mom said I had been in a coma for three years. She said whenever a doctor tried to pull the plug, he couldn't. The next day, he quit. Said he saw ghosts. I was grateful to Kimonhiro and the others.

"Ms Makio Makimura?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Very good. What will you be singing?"

"Again."

"Very well. Sing."

I held my guitar, and began to sing.

"_I will pursue this dream, 'cause I know it's expected  
that I be serene  
Upon this winding road, in the face of the crowds that bustle all around  
Although it seems like I am chasing after the past, what I want is place where the sky is alive and like home to me  
Please to try to understand the truth  
That this is no choice  
And I wish you'd stop with that look  
Of despair  
You're giving me_

Tears are nothing but the shape of our weakness  
And they won't bring any absolution  
I do not see an end to this labyrinth  
Who am I waiting for-  
And  
I write it down in the pages of my notebook  
'Cause I'm looking for the me that is still honest  
I am running but I don't even know why  
From this reality

To chase my wishes I'll carry on living  
And I will always remember the depths of the darkness  
I'll face my demons and I'll no longer run away  
There isn't a place to go  
I'll lose this feeling of being so helpless  
'Cause my whole life is ahead of me  
I'll quash the numbness  
'Cause pain's better than the emptiness

I must apologize, I've really messed up and  
I am so ashamed  
I may not say it much,  
But I know that I make you worry all the time

Back then you always could accept the things I'd done  
And you're still the same today so I'll try not to burden you  
But try to realize that I have closed my eyes  
Just because the world is too harsh  
And I'm willing to blind myself

Rumors that they have spread about us  
I do not know which was the first one  
"We were friends from the second that we met,"  
Just stop with the lies already  
And my heart turned red with this passion  
And it almost consumed my very being  
'Cause in truth I'd held onto hope  
From this reality

To chase my wishes I'll carry on living  
And I really want to scream out, but can you even hear me?  
I'll face my demons, and I'll no longer run away  
There isn't a place to go  
I still am grateful for the care you've shown me  
So I'll find the strength to make it count  
I'll always move onward  
Facing my friends and foes alike

How do you unlock this door that has no key?  
Can you think of a way?

We can't go back to the beginning  
The story is set, and our destinies too

Open up your eyes  
Open up your eyes

I'll lose this feeling of being so helpless  
'Cause my whole life is ahead of me  
And the things I once abandoned  
I want to try and find again

Come on, just one more time

To chase my wishes I'll carry on living  
And I really want to scream out, but can you even hear me?  
I'll face my demons, and I'll no longer run away  
There isn't a place to go  
I still am grateful for the care you've shown me  
So I'll find the strength to make it count  
I'll quash the numbness  
'Cause pain's better than the emptiness!"

I heard a loud round of applause from my audience, and I bowed. When I looked up, I looked into the mirror above the audience. Kimonhiro, Sashio, Brian, Ohira, Itashi, and Arimako all clapped. A tear rolled down my cheek again.

"I dedicated this song to my friend, Kimonhiro...And I hope wherever he is, he's happy." I watched as the judges huddled together and whispered.

"The winner of the contest is...Makio Makimura!"

I screamed, joyful. I would finally get to sing with my idol. Kimonhiro smiled and gave me the thumbs-up, before fading into the fog behind the mirror.

_*****A week later, at a large concert*****_

I stood onstage, Tsukiko Amano next to me. We began to sing the duet.

"_A sea fire looms in the white dawn sky  
My cheerful dreams had a red light_

_The one I chose to leave out  
Was the sweet road where you were smiling  
Now it's at the other end of a dream  
That I can't reach, even if I leave everything behind_

_Tell me  
Now I've taken my first, aimless steps, where will I move on to?  
In the pool of emptiness that submerges you  
Bubbles dance_

_My love danced in a sweet flurry  
It raised my small screams then burst and became nothing_

_If our arms had stayed together without parting  
What would we have seen?  
How far have my feet gone  
From that place?_

_If you want  
You can smash it into pieces and forget about it  
Without searching for the the pieces of love  
That have become a distant blur_

_I row the ark I've found a little closer to the exit where the light flows in  
Sealed off, removed, nowhere to go back to  
I row the ark I've found a little further beyond the exit where the light flows in  
Sealed off, removed, nowhere to go back to_

_Tell me  
Now I've taken my first, aimless steps, where will I move on to?  
I remember everything that's become a distant blur  
If we're to see each other again  
I want you to see all of me from square one  
In the pool of emptiness that submerges you  
Bubbles dance!"_

I closed my eyes, and smiled. Tsukiko Amano put her hand on my shoulder, and we began to sing Chou.

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A/N: It's over. It's been fun, right? This was the canon ending...I can't believe it's over. Of course, the other endings will be uploaded, but then it's over. I'll rewrite the early chapters at **some point. **But, yeah. The surprise will now be revealed! The mystery story is..."Obscuramon"! Watch as Mio is sent into the Pokemon universe, and things are much darker than they appear.

Jenny: We hope you enjoyed this story! Stay tuned for the other endings, and a final closing chapter!


	11. Epilogue

A/N: I'M SORRY. ;_; This took so long... ;_;

I'll write alternative endings another time. Here's the concluding chapter...

Jen: "Immortalized In Ash"

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I stared at the mall. The big area where the mansion had been, it was torn down and replaced with a mall. I knew I was a monster. After I sang with Tsukiko, that was the end of my singing career. I became a writer, a famous one. I wrote a book about my experience in the mansion. I marked it with "**TRUE STORY"** But no one believed me...I didn't care. My career was about to end. I would spend the rest of my life in prison. Even better, I would die.

People...saw things, in that mall. I had failed. The mansion was never saved from its curse. Many people died from fright in the mall...and others were murdered. The mall owners kept it quiet, sometimes kidnapping people to keep the case silent. Whispers overpowered the voices of the living. The dead whispered to me, told me their crimes...I was done with it all.

I took a deep breath, and opened the car door. A cigarette, a lighter, mace, gasoline, and a knife. More than enough to finish the task. The mall had recently installed metal detectors, a decoy to "prevent crime". They knew what was happening. It was disgusting. As I walked through, it beeped, and I was stopped.

"Excuse me, Ms. Makimura, but I have to search you. You will also need to drop the can." a tall black guard said. I had always been friends with this man, but I had to finish this task. I pulled out my mace, spraying him in the eyes. I began to run, jumping on an escalator. The guard caught up with me, running up the escalator.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, pulling out my knife. The guard gasped as the knife pierced his heart. He fell backwards, managing to crush others below him. I heard screaming, and crying. I ran up the escalator, reaching my destination. I ran around the floor, drenching it in gasoline. Finally, I lit that gas on fire. I had just enough time to reach the roof.

As I opened the door to the roof, people tried to get out behind me. I kept them inside, waiting until they left to find a new exit. I reached a large vent. It blew air into all parts of the mall. I lit my cigarette, poured the rest of the gasoline down the vent, and finally, I threw my lighter in. I heard the gasoline catch fire, and I knew soon, the mall would be no more. I ran up to the door, ready to quickly escape.

_**The door was locked.**_

How could I have forgotten that? I felt like an idiot. I was an idiot. There was only one thing left to do. I looked around, and finally found what I needed. A thick, long-ish rope. I tied a noose on the trim of the roof. I saw a red..._thing,_ approach me. Bashana. I put the noose around my neck, and grabbed him.

"You wouldn't do t-" Bashana was cut off as I jumped, laughing my last laugh. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was Bashana's shocked expression. The last thing my hands ever did was open, dropping Bashana to his death. The last thing I heard was Bashana's scream of anguish.

I felt myself rising, rising high above the clouds. I opened my eyes again, and saw a golden gate. My parents stood in front of it. I ran up and hugged them tightly.

"I'm so sorry." I sobbed, burying my face in my mother's neck.

"You ended so many lives...But you had a good intention." my father said. I finally saw who was behind the gate.

"Kimonhiro! Sashio! Arimako! Itashi! Brian! Ohira!" I ran at the gate, but was pushed back.

"Wha?" I cried, trying again. I was once more pushed back.

"Makio, you must pass the test. Good luck..." Kimonhiro said, looking very upset. I felt my body being crushed, and everything in me getting smaller. I looked down. I looked like I was 15 again...

"Wah?" I muttered, looking up. My heart turned to ice.

**The mansion loomed over me.**

"No...Don't make me relive the nightmares..." I pleaded. Pleading would get me nowhere. So I did it. I went through those nightmares again, barely keeping my sanity each time. I could never change the course of events, though. I thought once I finished it, my test was over. And so I beat Sashio again. I waited, and waited...Bashana never arrived.

"Kimonhiro, what's happening?" I whispered. A voice answered me.

"I don't know...Bashana should appear...He isn't dead."

"I killed him." I whispered, shocked.

"...Makio...That means...You will stay here...Forever."

The words caused me to scream. Scream in anger, in confusion, in sorrow, in agony. My stupidity doomed me. I was to lie in the lonely room for eternity, and longer. Sans family, sans friends, sans breath, sans a soul, sans hope. Goodbye, my friends. It is time to end the journey. I will stay here, forever. I can no longer hear the others. Eventually, maybe I'll learn something from this solitude. Thank you for shaping me into who I am.

**I will see you all in hell.**

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**Kids Go Missing In "Haunted" Mansion**

_**An amber alert was sent out on Tuesday, for two teenage children. Makio Makimura, and Kimonhiro Toraku. They were supposedly seen ro**_a**_ming the Arisu Mansion. The Arisu Mansion is a hot spot for tourists, due to its "haunted" status. Tourists are not allowed inside, ever since the 1970 of two tourists. The mansion is due to be torn down next year. If anyone sees these kids, please contact this news team._**

_**-Hikara Oshima**_

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**Tourists Found Dead In Arisu Mansion**

_**Tourists Ellen and Bob Smith were found dead in the supposedly "haunted" Arisu Mansion. One witness reported them as looking "scared to death". This house is unable to be torn down at the moment. People report a burning blue aura on the doors and entire building, causing many deaths. The machines explode on contact with the mysterious auro.**_

_**-Hikara Oshima**_

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**Hikara Oshima Found Dead In Home**

_**Faithful reporter of the "Occult" section of our newspaper, Hikara Oshima, was found dead yesterday in his apartment. No one in the building heard a struggle, or any noise from the room. A worried neighbor, Akane Semtii, entered their apartment. She was greeted with an empty room. She found Hikara-Sempai and his family in their beds, dead. There was no sign of struggle, and nothing was out of place. No fingerprints were found, and no evidence. Hikara-Sempai was married, and had two young girls. Hikara-Sempai's funeral will be held at Turnstone Graveyard, on Monday, 3:30 PM. Hikara-Sempai's last project was unfinished. It was his last report on the Arisu Mansion. The unfinished piece will be released soon on the biography of Hikara-Sempai's life, written by Rerai Tsuka.**_

_**-Rerai Tsuka**_

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"Miss, we need you to state your name."

"I told you, my name is Sashio."

"No, your name is Akane Semtii."

"Right...I'm sorry. My mind is a bit...cloudy. Ever since I discovered unfortunate Hikara-Chan..."

(sobs are heard)

"Miss, how did you know Hikara-Chan?"

"We were neighbors. Once in a while, I'd edit his articles for him. He was so kind...I cannot believe the Oshima family is gone..."

(A sniffle)

"Miss, would you like a tissue?"

"Yes, thank you very much."

(Nose blown)

"...Alright. As I was saying...We had become close friends. I was deeply worried for Hikara's sanity. He was getting so involved in that mansion..."

"State the name of the mansion, please."

"No..."

"Do it."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO."

"Do it...for Hikara-Chan."

"...Arisu...Mansion."

(A gasp, then a clatter as a chair hits the floor)

"Someone get help! Call an ambulance!"

(The cassette tape ends)

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A woman walked into the dusty and dark entrance. She flicked on her flashlight, and pointed it at a mirror.

"Bobby, come in here. It's so _interesting!_" Ellen called, looking around the room for her husband. Bob was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, Bob, do you have to act so foolish here? It might be dangerous, and you're _scaring _me!" Ellen called, whining in exasperation. She thought something moved in the corner of her eye, but she chalked it up to her paranoia. Bob was really worrying her now. He would have come back by now, if he was joking.

Ellen asked herself why she had even come to the mansion. She really did want to see a ghost, but now she was changing her mind. She just wanted to live a quiet life with her husband. Her child had grown up, already, and lived a couple of states away with his wife and twin sons. They called each other often during the first year of living in a different state, but eventually, the calls lessened and got shorter.

Ellen held up her cell phone, but found she had no bars in the mansion.

"Damn it..." she muttered, thrusting the phone in her pocket. "Bob, get your ass out here or you'll sleep in the car!" Ellen yelled, looking around wildly. That's when she saw a frightening sight. As she turned to look at the mirror, she saw what had been in the corner of her eye.

The mirror was lightly coated with blood, but you could still see through it. As Ellen peered through it, a bloodcurdling screech came from the bloody mirror. Ellen quickly covered her ears. She quickly turned away, wondering if she should look. Suddenly, the screaming was cut off. Ellen uncovered her ears.

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

Ellen turned around.

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap tap tap._

Ellen stared in the mirror, too shocked to look away. Bob was in the mirror, entrails hanging from his shredded stomach, blood coating every inch of him. He was lying on the ground, tapping the mirror weakly.

"Ellen, sweetie-pie?" A voice called behind Ellen. Bob stood there, staring at his wife. She was staring at her reflection in the dusty mirror, and she looked horrified. She wouldn't turn around. Bob walked up to his wife, and she suddenly vanished. He looked in to the mirror, and gasped. His wife stood there, covered in blood. What _really _got his attention were her clothes. She wore a coat that looked like it was made of skin..._human skin._ She wore a necklace of vocal chords. She held her finger to the glass.

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

Ellen screamed, and tried to hit the mirror. Her husband needed medical help! As her hand connected with the glass, she felt a jolt of electricity go through her. She fell to the ground, unmoving.

Bob ran to the large door. He needed to get help outside. He pounded on the door, which he couldn't open. He stopped his pounding at once.

_Tap._

He slowly turned around, and stared at the girl in front of him. She wore a light brown kimono, and her skin was a pale, translucent blue. Her smile was off to Bob. Something in it looked...scared. Bob only wondered this for a second before he was lifted up by the throat. The girl held him high, and he felt breath quickly escaping his lungs. Darkness began to make his vision hazy, and the last thing he saw was the off smile of the girl. The girl dropped Bob onto the ground. He was unmoving.

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**Chapter 10: Makio**

This is the last chapter of Hikara-Sempai's biography. This is a very short chapter, containing only his last, unfinished article, and a warning.

**Arisu Mansion Vision**

_**Hello, my faithful readers...I had a dream last night, about Arisu Mansion. I do not know what it means yet, but here it is.**_

_**I watched as a young girl, no older than 15, talked to a young man. He looked like he was about 20 or older. She poured water over the man's arm, and the peculiar blue bruises he had instantly faded. **_

"_**Thank you, Makio." he said, smiling. Makio smiled back, and threw the now-empty bottle to the side. They were sitting in a large, disheveled shed. A camera hung around Makio's neck. Suddenly, Makio stood up, and the shed and the young man faded away. Makio stood in the darkness, an invisible platform keeping her up. A notebook suddenly appeared in front of her feet. She picked it up, and began flicking through the pages. I looked closely at the notebook, which had the same blue and white pattern as mine. Sure enough, the pages of the notebook were my writings. She began to talk to herself.**_

"_**If I could talk to Hikara...I could figure out what happened in the Mansion..." she whispered. She quickly gasped. A blue sphere of gas flew around her three times, before materializing. It took the shape...of me. I stared at myself, and looked at the differences. My double was a translucent pale blue, and he spoke with a echo.**_

"_**Girl...I sense you want the truth...You are strong, and can handle it..."**_

"_**Tell me..." Makio whispered, her voice wavering. "Please, I need to save a life."**_

_**And so my double held the book to Makio's head, and she took a sharp breath. A blue aura filled her head. Suddenly, she knew all. She closed her eyes and smiled.**_

"_**Thank you...I'm coming, Sashio. Let's end this."**_

_**The dream ended.**_

_**THIS DREAM WAS A WARNING.**_

_**If you have a child named Makio, do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES**_

The article ends there. I believe he meant to say:

_**If you have a child named Makio, do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LET HER GO TO ARISU MANSION.**_

Thank you for reading about Hikara-Sempai's journey. Goodbye.

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**Rerai Tsuka Goes Insane**

_**Hikara Oshima's former apprentice, Rerai Tsuka, was recently commited into the House For The Mentally Unstable. As Rerai wrote the biography of Hikara Oshima, she was reported as being nervous and upset. She was recently arrested for trying to murder Cheyni Makimura, who is eight months pregnant. She was reported as screaming "She will hurt the ghosts!" We hope for Rerai's quick recuperation. Our team has decided to end the "Occult" section of the newspaper. As two reporters have suffered as they wrote for the section, we want to keep the population safe. **_

_**-Satoshi Makimura**_

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_Dear Diary,_

_I cannot express the heartbreak I feel. My best friend, Arimako, betrayed me. She is a coward! Running from her fate...She leaves me, Sashio, to be the ritual sacrifice. I don't want to die...but I am not weak like her. I will accept my fate. Today is the day of the ceremony. I must write a poem in front of the mirror, before the ritual begins. Diary, thank you so much for listening to me...Goodbye._

_Your friend,_

_ Sashio_

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_I have to keep running...I can hear her screams, her laughter. I stopped and looked in a puddle today. She was right behind me, about to grab me. I'm still running as I write, so sorry for my messy handwriting..._

_Oh no._

_I can't move my legs..._

_They feel like jelly..._

_And there's a stream right near me._

_She's coming out of the stream! _

_HELP ME!_

_(a long streak runs off the page)_

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A/N: We. Are. Finished! Yay!

Expect the Ch. 1 remake after I update Obsecuramon. :3

**Trivia Time:**

Sashio was originally called Sashito.

Originally, the final battle took place between Makio and Kimonhiro.

In the upcoming artwork of FF5, Sashio is cracked. Parts of her face and body have jagged lines going through them.

Makio x Kimonhiro fluff was never planned. XD

Yes, Mio Amakura knows Makio Makimura. The events of FF2 and FF5 happen at the same time. This makes the story a bit odd, but let's pretend FF2 and FF5 are present day, mm'k? 8D

Makio is a jouster. |D

Makio was originally planned to burn down her stadium, as she sang.

Bashana is mortal after Makio defeats him. Makio uses her will to summon him, and she then murders him.

Yes, Makio stays there for eternity. Sad ending. She's alone. Forever. Agony.

But, to everyone who's faved/reviewed/read, thank you all. I wouldn't be able to do this without you! 3

…

Rerai: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. (stabs A/N)

A/N: X_X


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